Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Whole decision: Denied

The Board found that the RO's decision to reduce the veteran's disability evaluation from 20 percent to noncompensable was proper, as there had been significant improvement in her condition.

The deciding factor: The September 2005 examination results showed full range of motion of the left ankle, which demonstrated improvement compared to the August 2004 examination that noted marked limitation of motion. The current symptomatology did not warrant a compensable rating under any relevant diagnostic codes.

Claimed conditions
left ankle lesion
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
January 9, 2009
Citation
0901003

Veterans Law Judge

L. M. BARNARD

Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0901003.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.